The appeal of glossy hardwood floors goes back centuries. The warmth of wood floors makes them a coveted design feature, and people who have wood floors work hard at keeping them looking good. Often when people move or make decorating changes in their interiors, or when floors get really dull and worn, they arrange for professionals to sand them to remove old finishes and then apply new ones.

Installing wood floors, whether of new wood or reclaimed planks or antique wood, is a popular upgrade to houses, especially in living rooms, dining rooms and kitchens, as it’s known to increase the resale value.

For centuries, most wood floors were given a wax finish, which requires regular maintenance and waxing as part of routine housekeeping. Some homes still continue that tradition. But for the past 50 years, the vast majority of wood floors in American homes have been topped with layers of polyurethane. The advantage of this is a nice, durable finish and the ease of maintenance mostly by simple vacuuming and dry mopping.

One alternative to solid hardwood floors is engineered hardwood, which is made with a top layer of hardwood and a core of crisscrossed layers of other woods. Engineered wood floors are known to be very stable, so they are a popular choice for areas with concrete subfloors or in basements.

Faster-drying finishes. Manufacturers are developing new technologies that use ultraviolet light to cure polyurethane finishes instantly, instead of longer waits during drying.

Care tips

Cleaning. The majority of floors today are sealed with polyurethane, so waxing is not necessary and could actually damage your polyurethaned floors. Dust mopping or vacuuming is usually all they need. For light cleaning, use a special professional cleaner such as Squeaky wood-floor cleaner for polyurethaned floors.

Keep pumps with worn heels or sports cleats off your wood floors, as they can dent them.

Trim pets’ nails. Scurrying dogs and cats can do serious damage to a wood finish. Keep scratches at bay with a regular clipping schedule.

Sprigg Lynn is president of Universal Floors in Washington, which has been in business since 1953 refinishing, installing, restoring and custom detailing wood floors. We asked him to choose three types of hard-surface flooring popular among consumers.

Bamboo:

Recently bamboo, which is actually a grass, has been a popular alternative to hardwood flooring because of its environmentally friendly properties and affordable price. The look of bamboo-plank floors is unique, and the floors are durable and practical. $7 to $8 per square foot installed.

Wide-oak plank

Choosing a floor made of 3-to-5-inch-wide oak planks assures you will see more of the beauty of the natural wood. A floor can be installed prefinished with polyurethane coating (with limited color selection). Multiple types of finishes are available. $9 to $10 per square foot installed.

Hand-scraped wood:

Universal Floors offers an option called hand scraping that produces a floor that mimics the rich character of antique floors. Lynn calls it a “footworn look for people who don’t want their floors to look like they came out of a box.” The look evokes the warmth of centuries-old floors. It is achieved through careful scraping with custom tools. It can be coated with polyurethane, although some prefer a wax or tung-oil finish to preserve the patina. $15 to $20 per square foot installed.

Shop smart

If you have old wood floors that are looking dull and scratched, consider refinishing. If both the finish and stain are worn off into the grain of the wood, it has to be sanded before applying new coats of polyurethane or wax.

If you are shopping for new floors or thinking of restaining your old ones, consider the pros and cons of dark versus light floors. Dark floors are dramatic but will show pet scratches and dust and can make a room appear smaller. Lighter floors have a timeless look and hide dirt better; plus, they never look trendy.

Buy some new doormats if you install new floors or refinish your old ones. If you keep a doormat in front of all the exterior doors to your house, it can help keep dirt from being brought in on everyone’s shoes and wearing down your beautiful wood floors.